Going to the Dog

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As managing partner in an accounting firm, Joel Anik is used to hearing requests from his employees. But one from marketing associate Elizabeth Grover was unusual: She wanted to bring a young dog to the office a couple of times a month. But not just for fun.

Grover is a volunteer with Guide Dogs of America, an organization that trains puppies to become guide dogs for the blind. As part of the program, dogs in training must spend time in a work setting comparable to that of a designated blind recipient.

Anik had some concerns, he said. “I was worried about the potential for accidents, and the possibility that the puppy might bark and create a disturbance during client meetings.”

But when Maya, a 15-month-old yellow Labrador showed up with Grover at the downtown L.A. office of Grant Thornton LLP, the staff of about 100 got a case of puppy love. Every few minutes, people seeking breaks from the stress of tax season would come in and pet Maya.

“She has proven a real morale booster and stress buster,” Anik said. “And she has been really quiet and well behaved – no accidents.”

Road Trip

Instead of booking a flight to the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, last week, Drew Baumann took a bus.

But it wasn’t the leisurely road trip you might imagine.

He was part of the Startup Bus, where teams of eight worked around the clock in a competition to develop a company in just three days, all while traveling 60 miles per hour.

Baumann, who works as the community manager for Santa Monica startup Mingly, was one of several local entrepreneurs and developers who rode the Startup Bus from San Francisco to Austin. His team created a website, FlyByMiles.com, that shows people where they can travel using their airline miles.

“I had a great time,” said Baumann, 23. “It was a ton of fun and definitely a rewarding experience.”

There were some challenges. The bus frequently lost its

Internet connection, making it difficult for the teams to work. And after three days, Baumann was relieved to reach Austin and start to enjoy the music, film and technology festival – minus some odors.

“It was definitely close quarters,” he said. “People got stinky after a while.”

Staff reporters Howard Fine and Natalie Jarvey contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by Editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].

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